Vitne



(No Model.)

H. ROHRER.

WHEEL.

Patented June 8, 1886.

Away

N arias muwuxm m nnr. waimn m. n.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

HENRY ROHRER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,399, dated June 8,1886.

Application filed April 5, 1886. Serial No. 197,919. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY RoHRER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at the city of New York, in the county of New York andState of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Wheels, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wheels constructed with elastic joints betweenthe ends of the fellics, so that they may be pressed in toward the hub,temporarily reducing the diameter of the wheel; and the object of myimprove ment is to reduce the labor and expense of putting on the tire,and making the wheels much :5 more durable, the tire itself alwaysserving to hod the wheel firmly together. This construction also admitsof the use of tires fully tempered before they are put in place, noheating being required in order to fix them on the wheels.

I attain my object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figurelis aside viewofa section ofawheel withelastic-joints; Fig. 2, a top view of one of the connections between twofellies, with the upper part of the shell of the joint removed; Fig. 3,an outside View of the joint, and Fig. 4 a top view of the spring usedin the shell between the fellies.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through out the several. views.

The joint I use consists of a shell, V, the shape of the cross-sectionof which is similar to that of the felly E, having a movable head,

5 I, somewhat inside of either end, and between these heads a powerfulspring. The spring is composed of two broad U-shaped pieces of steel,the prongs of one, W, having a deep recess cut in their ends, and thoseof the other, W, a corresponding tongue. The prongs of W are entered orengaged between those of W, and the tongues of W pass out of thecorresponding recesses in the side of W and lap the prongs of the same.These thimbles are used at each joint between sections of the-fellies,the end of each section being received by one end ofthe shell. Thestrength of the spring is such that when the tire is in place itspressure is great enough to force the felly immovably against it. Inorder to prevent the spring and interior of the shell from rusting, Ifill the spring-chamber between the bearing-heads with asphaltum or anysimilar non-corrosive substance, generally after the parts areconnected. The asphaltum is suificiently softened by the heatin su mmerto permit the spring to give under the pressure caused by the expansionof the connected parts. The movable head, which separates the springfrom the ends of the felly, gives a full and uniform bearing for thespring against the heads of fellies between which it is placed.

IVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

In a wheel, the combination of the fellies having their ends somewhatseparated,a shell adapted to receive the end of a felly at both ends,and a spring composed of two U-shaped pieces, the ends of which areconstructed to interlock, placed in said shell and adapted to actoutwardly against the ends of the fellies, substantially as specified.

HENRY ROHRER.

WVitnesses:

JEROME BUCK, JAMES R. HENRY.

